Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- December 10, 2019

Reuters

Hunter DeRensis, National Interest: Will Trump Get to Set the Terms for His Senate Impeachment Trial?

With congressional Democrats looking to impeach Trump by Christmas, a clash in the Senate looms.

After Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz released his findings on Monday, his report, far from quelling the controversy over the FBI and the investigation of the Trump campaign, ended up inflaming it. The proximate cause of the controversy was the dueling interpretations of it by Attorney General William P. Barr and FBI Director Christopher Wray. The former casts doubt on the report, while the latter embraced it. Barr stated that the report showed that the FBI investigation was based on the “thinnest of suspicions.” Wray, by contrast, said that it showed that the investigation was justified. For good measure, he added, “we have no information that indicates that Ukraine interfered with the 2016 election.” Trump himself lashed out at Wray in a tweet Tuesday, declaring, “I don’t know what report current Director of the FBI Christopher Wray was reading, but it sure wasn’t the one given to me. With that kind of attitude, he will never be able to fix the FBI, which is badly broken despite having some of the greatest men & women working there!” Trump’s use of the word “current” aroused speculation that Wray may soon suffer the same fate that James Comey experienced in May 2017, when Trump dismissed him.

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- December 10, 2019

Speaker Pelosi Has Gotten Impeachment Right -- Frank Bowman, Slate

For Pelosi, an Election Too Important to Be Left to Voters -- Rich Lowry, National Review

Why Iran Has Erupted -- Gabriel Powe, The Week

U.S. Sanctions Are Driving Iran to Tighten Its Grip on Iraq -- James Risen, The Intercept

Everyone Knew We Were Losing in Afghanistan -- David Graham, The Atlantic

Afghanistan anti-drug boondoggle nears $9bn mark -- Phillip Smith, Asia Times

US exit from Afghanistan would leave the way clear for China to increase its influence in the region -- S. George Marano, SCMP

Kim’s frustrations indicate Trump is holding the line -- Ted Gover, Asia Times

A North Korea Crisis for Christmas -- Gordon G. Chang, National Interest

Why European Countries Are Reluctant to Repatriate Citizens Who Are ISIS Fighters -- H.J. Pei, NPR

Cautious optimism for Russia-Ukraine ceasefire -- DW

Voting with their feet: French march against pension reforms -- Angela Charlton and Nadine Achoui-Lesage, AP

Only Two Possible Outcomes to Britain's Election -- James Forsyth, The Sun

At 34, Sanna Marin Is the World’s Youngest Sitting Head of Government -- Time

Democrats agree to North America trade pact: What’s in it? -- PAul Wiseman, AP

Ethiopia's Abiy Ahmed: Inside the mind of this year's Nobel Peace Prize winner -- BBC

Does Ethiopian Nobel laureate Abiy Ahmed have new enemies? -- Benita van Eyssen, DW